A teenage father with ‘DEVAST8’ tattooed across his face is ‘waiting for the right job offer’ after his desperate plea for work went viral – and he has revealed he will be getting the jailhouse ink lasered off.
Mark Cropp, 19, from New Zealand, took to social media on Wednesday afternoon to beg someone to look past his criminal convictions and heavily-tattooed face and give him a chance at work.
Within hours he had been inundated with job offers and said he had ‘stopped counting when he reached 45’.
Scroll down for video
Mark ‘Devast8’ Cropp (pictured) has revealed that he has turned down 45 job offers since his story went viral
The 19-year-old (pictured) had taken to social media in frustration that his face tattoos were preventing him from finding work
But he told Daily Mail Australia he still hadn’t ‘done a day’s work’.
‘I am just waiting for the right one to come about,’ he said.
We live in ‘Britain’s unhappiest town’ – There are pickpockets
Some of the jobs required him to have his own car – he clarified – but he will need help getting to the work site.
‘Until I get my first paycheck and get a car I won’t be able to get myself around,’ he said.
The former criminal revealed he will be getting the artwork – designed by his brother after a night of drinking home brew in jail – removed as soon as possible.
‘A week before I got out I taped a picture of my face to the inside of an envelope so my partner could see it – she was devastated – but now she likes it and can’t see me without it,’ Cropp (pictured, right) said
Man with DEVAST8 tattoo speaks about trying to get a job
‘I am just working out a date to get it taken off – which sucks because it is going to hurt,’ he said.
‘And because, you know, this tattoo means something to me and my brother did it for me so it is hard to make the decision to get rid of it.
‘But I know it is the best thing for my future – and I want to be a person my family can look to for support.’
The artwork was designed to make him ‘look tough’ when he landed in jail following a long string of violent behaviour.
This image shows Cropp (pictured) before the face tattoo which made him go viral on social media
‘And because, you know, this tattoo means something to me and my brother did it for me so it is hard to make the decision to get rid of it,’ he said
Mark and girlfriend Taneia Ruki got together a year before he was sent to prison
It was meant to be a ‘little one along the jawline,’ but the pair got carried away after drinking home brew made from fermented apples, sugar and bread.
‘I went into jail with four tattoos and I came out with a full body suit,’ he said.
But the face tattoo was the biggest shock to his family.
‘A week before I got out I taped a picture of my face to the inside of an envelope so my partner could see it – she was devastated – but now she likes it and can’t see me without it.’
DEVAST8 happens to be the 19-year-old’s nickname.
Mark Cropp (pictured) told Daily Mail Australia he is still waiting for the right job to come along
Cropp (pictured) says the face tattoo was supposed to be small but he and his brother got carried away after drinking homebrew
‘I was going through a rough patch’: Teen with DEVAST8 jail tattoo
‘I would end up devastating everyone I met or got close to.
‘They would be disappointed with something I had done or said – I was always hearing “that’s devastating”,’ he said.
But he hopes the devastating chapters of his life are over – erased along with the ink on his face.
‘I have learnt from my mistake,’ he said.
‘I still don’t think people should be judged by the tattoos on their face – but I know it will keep happening unless I do something about it.’
Before his final desperate plea on Facebook the teenager said people had ‘laughed in (his) face’ when he had asked for work.
The tattoo was drawn with a homemade gun which used a needle made from the spring of a pen and powered by a cassette player.
Plastic knives and forks are burnt to a black plastic powder and mixed with toothpaste and water to create the ink.
The teenager has been out of jail for two weeks.
Mark has also been offered laser therapy to remove the tattoo and will have his first session on Tuesday (pictured right with partner)
The New Zealander (pictured) has been out of jail for two weeks and says he has learnt from his mistake
Keanu Reeves’ Shocking Injury on Set: You Won’t Believe What Happened!
Keanu Reeves is a much-loved celebrity, and everyone who’s met him has great things to say about him. So when he recently shared some bad news about himself, many people were worried.
Here’s what happened:
Keanu has been busy working on his new project, *Good Fortune*. He appeared on *The Late Show with Stephen Colbert* this week and shared a story that got people concerned.
The 59-year-old actor revealed that he broke his kneecap while filming. Known for his action roles in movies like *The Matrix* and the *John Wick* series, he explained that the injury came from something surprisingly minor.
Colbert asked, “What happened? Who got to you?”
The actor replied playfully in a tough guy voice, “No one got to me,” adding, “Accident got to me.”
“Were you jumping from building to building? Were you doing a cartwheel past razor blades? What were you doing?” Stephen further probed.
“No, Stephen, I was walking into the dressing room, a room. I will tell it quick,” Keanu explained.
Keanu explained that his injury happened while filming a comedy called *Good Fortune* with Aziz Ansari and Seth Rogen. The three were in a cold plunge, and Keanu was having a good time. Afterward, he was doing a “cold shuffle” in a room with soft carpets when his foot got stuck in a pocket.
To show what happened, Keanu walked in front of Stephen Colbert’s desk and demonstrated how his knee gave way. He described it as if his knee “spiked” into the ground.
He said his kneecap cracked like a potato chip, although he didn’t realize it at first. It wasn’t until his knee started swelling up that he knew something was seriously wrong.
“Comedy is hard, man,” Keanu added as a joke.
“This was not an action film with Aziz and Rogen,” Stephen clarified once again.
“No, it was comedy,” Keanu confirmed.
“Welcome to my life,” Stephen joked.
In January, Keanu was seen filming with crutches and an ice pack on his knee.
*Good Fortune* not only stars Aziz Ansari but is also his first time directing. He wrote and co-produced the movie, which also features Sandra Oh and Keke Palmer.
It’s great to hear that Keanu Reeves has recovered well. Feel free to share this update with anyone who wants to know how he’s doing!
Leave a Reply